Mycotoxins: The Hidden Threat to Human Health in Zimbabwe

Dr. Melody Ndemera - former PhD student
at Ugent/University of Zimbabwe

22 February 2018.Harare, Zimbabwe. “Mycotoxins: The Hidden Threat to Human Health in Zimbabwe”. MYTOX SOUTH dissemination workshop. The workshop was funded by Ghent University Global Minds fund in collaboration with Randox Food Diagnostics and the University of Zimbabwe.

Mycotoxins are dangerous and produced by fungi that can contaminate food. The subsistence farming populations in Zimbabwe are exposed to this fungi through maize consumption and small children, below five years of age, are highly exposed to mycotoxins, which can have serious consequences on health and nutrition status. They can affect growth and development in children.

Higher and Tertiary Education
Minister Professor Amon Murwira

Food safety is one of the key issues in food and nutrition security and should be addressed through research so that our approach to problems is science based. We are gathered here to tap some knowledge and evidence from the research work, which has been done on food safety threat presented by dangerous toxic chemicals, which are produced by fungi on food, toxins called mycotoxins. Research produced by academics in higher and tertiary institutions should be taken seriously and used in policy making to address national problems

Reference:

The Herald of Zimbabwean  ‘Mycotoxins a threat to food safety’ with a message from the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.